Between the Lines
by Crystal Spinning
Summary: [Pony/Jill and Mark-centric] Forget-Me-Not Valley is a place of healing, a place of remembrance, and a place to grow. Perhaps, most importantly, it can be a stepping stone.
1. Marlin

**Between the Lines**

Pony/Jill and Mark-centric

Ensemble Cast

* * *

><p>Takakura took a deep dreg from his own pint. "We buried him today."<p>

Marlin looked sorrowfully at the older man. "I'm sorry."

Shrugging, they both drank again, sitting in silence. The cabin was warm, despite the chilly winter air that made the logs creak. Marlin had always liked Takakura's home. It was made to the man's specifications. At its core, it was a total bachelor's pad, with a single bed, a small kitchen, and a table with a few chairs, all made by Takakura. Marlin didn't know much about him, to tell the truth. Takakura was a private man. The single picture he kept in his small shack was a picture of him, a much younger man, and a woman that could only be described as _gorgeous_, with enormous blue eyes and a dazzling smile, holding him. Takakura looked more content than Marlin had ever seen him, with an unlined face. It looked years old. Marlin drank.

He thought of Celia. They only had one picture together, one Vesta had taken. They were sitting in the shop, in a forced pose Vesta had corralled them into. Marlin was scowling, and he was always amused when he saw the picture, remembering vividly the irritation he'd felt, but Celia was fighting a giggle. She was always gentle and smiling, and her very presence was calming. He wondered if Takakura had felt about his friend the way he felt about Celia. He didn't ask. He drank.

Surprisingly enough, it was Takakura who broke the silence. "His daughter… she couldn't come to the funeral. But she wrote me a letter."

Marlin looked up, startled. Takakura had never been a man to share personal information off the bat. "Oh?"

"She wants to help out at the farm. She just graduated from college."

A city girl. Marlin suppressed a snort. Now was not the time. Suddenly, Takakura pulled a letter from his pocket. A picture of two small children swinging off Takakura's arms was paperclipped to it. Marlin examined it. The man in the picture seemed to be around the same age as the man in the other picture. The children were maybe seven, with matching brown locks.

"Her and her brother… haven't seen them since this picture was taken. Dunno how she ended up with it. She's coming tomorrow, wants to help prep the place for spring."

The last few words were slightly slurred, and it was the beer that allowed the tinge of pride to leave Takakura's tone. Marlin smiled into his beer. "What're their names?"

"Mark and Pony."

"Pony?" Marlin raised a brow.

Takakura smiled a little. "Nickname."

Nodding, Marlin drank.

"She's coming tomorrow."

"Oh?"

"She's gonna build up a house with me, and start prepping the fields."

"Maybe I'll stop by." Marlin said. Takakura only shrugged. Marlin didn't often make it out of bed until midday in the winter and they both knew it. Silence ensued, until Marlin finished his drink, standing. "I should leave."

"It's getting late." Takakura agreed. "You need help getting home?"

"Nah."

Marlin let out a shudder, though, the second the cold air hit him. His joints ached, and though the alcohol kept the brunt of the cold from affecting him, it was still chilly and dark. He checked his watch. Ten pm. Later than he usually stayed out, but he always liked hearing bits of Takakura's life. Maybe he would go tomorrow. His cough was subsiding as spring slowly grew closer. He could see the beginnings of buds starting to form on the trees that had been so barren for so long.

He made it to the bridge before he felt so exhausted he had to sit for a moment. Dangling his legs over the pier, he watched the fish playing and swimming rapidly around as the quickly moving stream. He felt his legs trembling and sucked in a deep breath. The cold air always exhausted him, and the beer didn't help, though the rare time Takakura offered, Marlin didn't like turning him down.

The quiet farmer, who was in Forget-Me-Not most of the year, though he didn't do much farming, was one of the few people who Marlin enjoyed talking to, besides Celia, his own sister, and Griffin, though he didn't often head to the Blue Bar.

When he felt stronger, he finished the trek home. Celia was already asleep, but Vesta was probably still in the shops. He shrugged, changing and swilling some mouth wash before climbing into bed, passing into a fitful sleep almost immediately.

x

As it turned out, Marlin thought grouchily, he did end up meeting the girl.

Celia's cousin, Karen, came to visit a few times a year, and every time, she was trashed at noon, bringing Vesta down with her, and he couldn't bear to deal with it.

So that's how he made his way over to Takakura's, almost getting smashed in the face with a wooden beam.

"Shit!" He ducked, losing composure for a minute. The enormous wood beam swung back, until it was set – or dropped – to the ground.

"Are you okay?" the young woman in front of him was covered in sweat and filth, in a contrast to Takakura's neater appearance.

He coughed at the dustiness of the place, and shook his head. "I'm fine. I'm guessing you're Pony?"

The girl looked surprised, and craned her neck, looking back at Takakura, before smiling back at him freely. "Yeah. Who're you?"

"Name's Marlin. I live at the other farm, across the way." He shrugged in the direction of Vesta's farm.

Her eyes lit up. "I was just telling Takakura how I don't know anything about farming."

"Uh," he didn't really know what to say. "I guess you can ask me, Takakura, or my sister Vesta for advice anytime you need it."

"Thanks." She turned away from him, picking up the beam with ease, the muscles in her biceps straining for a moment. Marlin was impressed.

Takakura walked up to him, dusting himself off. The previously empty field was now a small shack, though without a door or any windows. Or a floor, from the looks of it. "Hey."

Marlin nodded. "Progress."

Takakura grunted. "It'd be done faster if I did it myself, but she insists on learning."

"How long is she staying?" Marlin asked, watching the young woman before him sawing at the beam she'd nearly decapitated him with.

"She's got nothing to do, she says. Just graduated school, no job." Takakura watched her too, until she waved him over.

Marlin stayed to watch for about an hour, until Takakura decided it was time for a break. They trooped to Takakura's little cabin, where he pulled out some food from his kitchen, offering Marlin and Pony some. Marlin shook his head. Part of doing so little physical activity was decreased appetite.

"Oh, no thanks." Pony shook her head before reaching into her pocket, pulling out an apple. "I don't eat much." They stared. She'd just been doing hard labor for several hours. Chugging the glass of water Takakura had set out for her, she smiled again. "I'm a raw vegan."

"You're a raw whatzit?" Marlin asked her, staring a little as she refilled her glass of water.

"Vegans don't eat any animals or animal byproducts. I also don't eat anything that has been cooked. It's for my health, and because I know all the tips and tricks, it's easy." Finishing up her apple, she began to chew on a banana pulled from the depths of a bag. Marlin chuckled at her.

"You heading back to the inn for the night?" Takakura asked her. "It's gonna get dark pretty soon. I can walk you down there."

"Please." She waved a hand at him. "It's a what? Ten minute walk? Not even. Maybe five, tops. I can do it. I may wander around town for a bit, too."

Suddenly deciding to go to the Blue Bar after all – going home sober to a giggling drunk Karen wasn't Marlin's idea of fun – he stood. "I can walk you. I'm headed in that direction anyway."

She nodded brightly. "Sure! Thanks. What time?"

Takakura brooded for a moment. "I may not be back until midday tomorrow. Think you can entertain yourself until then?"

"Of course." She smiled, picking up her bag. "Ready when you are."

Marlin stood too, while Takakura continued to eat. They left quickly, and began the short walk to the town. Neither made conversation, but it didn't feel awkward. She seemed fully comfortable, walking with an energy that he wished he could emulate.

"Thanks." She said, when the inn was in sight. He only nodded, but was confused when she strode past it.

"Aren't you going in?"

She shrugged. "It's not even six yet. I was going to explore."

That was true. She probably needed entertainment. He certainly had needed it when he first moved here. Forget-Me-Not was a whole different world from the city. "I'm headed to the bar, if you wanna come."

Smiling, she inclined her head and followed him, pulling a peach from her pack again. "Want one?"

"No." He made it a few more steps before adding: "Thanks, though."

They walked together until they reached the bar. He stepped inside and she followed, taking seats next to one another.

It was fairly busy tonight. Rock was there, and the twins were both there, and the enormous artist that Marlin had never spoken to, as well as an unfamiliar redhead. "That's Nami." Pony pointed. "We're sharing a room at the inn."

They stayed silent. He ordered a drink. She didn't. He looked at her, curiously. "No drinking?"

"I don't drink alcohol." She smiled. "Health stuff."

He brooded grouchily at that. Perhaps he should do something like that, too. Dr. Hardy had claimed Marlin was better than ever, but he still felt like shit in the mornings… and at night… and even sometimes during the day. He drank.

He also grew more talkative as he drank. It was the effects of intoxication, making him less inhibited. Slowly, he joined the conversation with Patrick and Kassey, while Pony spoke quietly to Nami.

"I'm gonna head back now." Pony's voice startled Marlin from his conversation with Cody. He nodded.

"I should head back soon, too. It's almost nine."

Together, they left, with Muffy waving. Marlin didn't have much to say to the pretty bartender, but he couldn't deny she was beautiful, with sunny blonde hair and enormous eyes. Being served by an attentive woman like her was always nice, and she was always friendly and polite.

Walking with Pony was nice. She had a meandering pace that matched his own laborious steps, and their shoulders seemed to meet, which was nice, because Marlin felt a little wobbly.

"Hold on."

She stopped, and turned to him. They matched in height, he realized. Of course, he could hardly be considered tall, but for a woman, it was rare. At least here, where all the women hardly met the five foot mark.

"Are you okay?" She asked, for the second time. He shook his head, feeling suddenly exhausted.

"Need a minute."

She waited, quietly, staring at Tim's vegetable patch. It was almost ready to harvest, Marlin could tell, trying to concentrate. "I'm okay."

"Need help?"

He looked up, ready to shoot off something defensive, but something calm and quiet about her stopped him. Celia's efforts were usually flowery and useless. She was much smaller than him, and always hovering. Vesta's were aggressive – shoving him back into bed. But Pony only waited for his answer, not making a move, not making any assumptions. So he scowled darkly at his feet, before stating clearly. "Please."

She wrapped his arm around her shoulder – thin, but muscular. She seemed to be pretty in shape for a city girl. He stood, slowly, not trying to be polite. He fully burdened her with his weight, and her arm snaked around his waist, holding him up as he moved, slowly.

"Stop."

Immediately, she stopped. Her silence was a blessing to Marlin's aching head. He'd only had a few drinks, and he was definitely buzzed, but the pain all came from his sickness. He was well and truly dying, just like the doctors in the city had proclaimed. Sure, life in the country could help, but he couldn't get a cure. Regardless, he was screwed.

The nighttime was quiet, quite unlike spring. He hated winters. He hated the cold and being trapped in, and the hardness of the ground that was usually soft and fertile. They were by the bridge now, and all he could hear was the rushing water and the deafening silence. "I'm sorry."

Beneath him, she twitched. "Don't be." They were quiet again, until he nodded. Together, they walked in unison, until he reached the door.

"It's nice here." She noted, smiling softly, and he nodded, finally feeling awkward. It was nearly ten now.

"Sorry I kept you up so late. Are you sure you're okay to go to the inn yourself?"

She smiled cheerfully. "I'm from the city."

He nodded at that, and closed the door, but not before whispering: "Thanks."

Pony turned away and began her trek back to the inn. It was a small place, not even a half an hour walk from end to end. She liked that, though. She had written to Takakura after graduation, deciding that spending a year or two helping lift the farm off the ground would be a good way of connecting with her dad. Mark was more hesitant, wondering if it would be better to just work in the city and stay in their own apartment, but Pony was excited for the next day to begin.

This was a new beginning.


	2. Nami

She observed him, just as she always did. Just as she observed everyone else in Forget-Me-Not, and everyone in every other place she'd lived.

It was easier, here, with everyone knowing everyone and it being such a small town. The 'town' could hardly even be called that – there were no restaurants, and the only shop was Van's, twice a season. It was strange, though, because of the simplicity of life here. Everyone seemed to be a caricature of what they could be. The farming family, the strange scientist, the lonely middle-aged man that was rarely seen, Tim and Ruby, happily married with a typical rebellious son. Or the strange twins, the quiet artist, and the rich family that was so close to the retired couple a few houses down. She could list them all off at once, too – the ex-socialite mother with an Olympic wannabe husband and son, the unsuccessful archeologists, the stoner who lived in a hut, and the owner of the bar.

Nami was just getting bored when suddenly, everything changed.

It was the last day of winter that they moved in and set the town abuzz, and it was the first day of spring that Ruby knocked on her door at 9:15, knowing that Nami woke up at nine, and brought a cup of her favorite tea. She didn't speak until after Nami began to drank and open the windows and make her bed. Ruby included laundry in the rent, so she brought up the freshly laundered clothes, and Nami folded them away into her small backpack. She didn't use much, really. She didn't need too.

"So, there's some people in town newer than you!" Ruby said brightly as Nami poured a second cup of steaming mint tea.

"Oh?"

Ruby did not take offense to Nami's dry tone. In fact, she giggled a little. Nami usually scorned giggling, but somehow Ruby always seemed to glow with effervescence and made the gesture bearable. "Yes! Two of them. Mark and... Pony. They moved in with Takakura yesterday. Such a kind pair. Pony stopped by yesterday to say hello!"

It was rare that new things happened in Forget-Me-Not, so Nami forgave her eagerness.

"What are you doing today, Nami?"

Shrugging, Nami blew on the tea, staring outside at the view. Wally and Hugh were jogging past, already shining with sweat. "Maybe I'll explore the spring."

Nami had been here for two weeks now. Her funds were slowly dwindling, but for whatever reason, she wanted to stay here for a little longer. Not to mention Ruby's cooking was divine, she reminded herself, biting into a fresh muffin. The steam flowed into her mouth, a little too hot, but Nami ignored it.

"Oh, that'll be lovely!" Ruby smiled. "Would you mind buying some milk from Takakura's farm sometime today? Apparently he just bought a cow. I can give you the money, but I have some errands to run, and you know Rock…"

Nami did indeed know Rock. Though he was a nice, well-meaning kid, she wouldn't trust any money in his hands. "Sure."

"Oh, thank you so much, Nami." Ruby sighed gratefully, pulling a few bills from her apron pocket. "I have to go now, but there are more muffins in the kitchen if you like!"

The shorter woman bustled out, and Nami yawned before leaving. Like always, she didn't bother to lock her door, but did carry a notebook with her.

The day was sunny, not too hot. Winter had left gently, leaving a warm, breezy spring to take over. The path was well beaten by thousands of footsteps from years of travel, and it was comforting to see the utter lack of concrete roads. Cars did not exist in Forget-Me-Not. Air was cleaner, water tasted better, the sunshine felt brighter. A few tight buds of green were beginning to split, and Nami felt calm. Wandering up the hill to the spring, she saw a few familiar faces: Gustafa, the friendly and cheerful young man who lived in a yurt over the hill from the inn, and a homeless man who often stared at her intently. Shrugging it off, she wandered up to the spring.

She'd only been here twice in her time in the Valley. It was special – she did not want to grow bored of it. As she sat though, doodling and writing in the journal as she dipped her toes in the cool, clear spring water, suddenly, a figure waded through the tall grasses and nearly toppled over on her.

He wasn't tall – he had a small, compact body and a slightly dusty white shirt. Brown hair curled slightly around his forehead and he grinned at her in apology, his eyes clear and wide and friendly. Startled, she only stared back for a moment, before collecting herself enough to ask, haughtily: "Who are you?"

He pointed at himself for a moment, as if unsure who she was asking. Opening and closing his mouth, he only stared, his puppy-dog eyes looking confused.

"Yeah, you."

"Mark." Was all he said, as if his name told her everything she needed to know and she only looked at him, feeling her lips twist into a scowl at her disruption.

"I nearly dropped my notebook."

Apology sprung into his eyes and he stared at her lap, as if horrified her journal might still be at risk. Shrugging, Nami looked away, finding it difficult to continue to stare into his eyes. Looking pained, he pulled a flower from his deep pockets, offering it to her.

She stared at it for a moment, witheringly. Was he making fun of her? "Nice." She knew her tone was scathing, but it was difficult to hide the irritated flush that was beginning to climb up her neck. Standing, Nami noted he was eye-level with her, and he still only looked at her with inquisitive amber eyes. He said nothing as she walked away.

But now she doubted she'd ever be bored with the spring.

X

A loud knock on the door startled Marlin from his morning coffee. Looking up from the newspaper he read, he watched as Celia stood to answer the door.

"Oh! Hello, Pony." Celia smiled softly and stepped aside so the taller brunette could enter. "How are you today?"

Smiling back, Pony nodded, and produced a bouquet of flowers from behind her back. Oohing, Celia quickly placed them in a clay pot, filling it up with water.

"So what brings you here? Did you need to buy something?" Celia asked, politely as always, a fond smile on her lips as she stared at the other woman.

Nodding once, Pony shot a small, friendly smile at Marlin. "Tomatoes and turnips, please. Fertilizer, too."

Marlin had immediately guessed that both Pony and her twin brother were new to farming. Even the way she spoke, quick and concise though her words were, had the same elongated pronunciation most city-dwellers did. Eyes going back to the paper, he listened as Celia chattered and Pony responded with one word answers. Despite her curt sentences, he approved of her. Takakura was a good guy, and if he brought those two down to work, he was sure they were good workers.

Pony left, and Celia closed the door behind her, smiling. "What a nice new neighbor!" she exclaimed. "What do you think of her?"

Nodding, Marlin folded up the paper. He knew Celia liked to read them before she went to bed, so he always made sure to keep them in order. "She's willing to work, I guess."

Celia nodded gladly, her soft gray eyes shining with hope. He almost blushed – her eyes were large and framed with soft, long lashes. "I hope she and I can be good friends!"

Shrugging, Marlin stood. Anyone would be better than damn Karen. "I'm gonna go out to the fields now."

Celia's eyes widened. He'd been staying inside for most of winter – his health had been too bad for much strenuous work. "Are you sure? If you think Vesta needs help, I should-"

"No." He tried to soften the blow of his gruff tone with an explanation. "Vesta likes when you cook lunch. So do I," he added, and she stared up at him in concern. Feeling his neck heat, he stormed out of the house, unintentionally slamming the door.

With the warmth of spring, the air felt less severe on his lungs and his joints felt easier to move. Standing up straight, he strode towards the field, ready to grab some of the watering cans. Vesta, being the largest of the three, usually handled fertilizing. As he strode towards Vesta though, a smaller figure was behind her.

Pony was still in the field, one of the wild plants that grew nearby twisted between her gloved fingers as Vesta spoke animatedly to her. Probably about vegetables, he snorted to himself. But Pony seemed fully engaged in what Vesta was saying, nodding her head and craning her neck to meet his vivacious sister's eyes.

"Ah, Marlin, there you are. I was just tellin' Pony here about you and Takakura. Old buddies, they are. Two old men in young men's bodies."

Rolling his eyes, Marlin only grunted. "Where's the watering cans?"

"I already did all that. Pony gave me a hand. Don't have much to do at your farm yet, huh?" She bellowed a laugh, slapping a large hand against Pony's smaller shoulder. To her credit, the girl barely flinched, and her wide smile never left. "Why don't you start weeding? With spring coming in, you know all the wild herbs will be coming in too."

"I can help." Pony offered.

Marlin eyed her suspiciously. The girl he'd first met had been eager and helpful and he trusted her. She couldn't possibly be stealing Vesta's secrets – Takakura's farm was more of a ranch, with less space designed for farming. But he struggled to imagine why she would possibly offer to do their chores with them. "Why?" he blurted.

Pony's eyes flashed up to him, less gray than Celia's and more of an off-blue. Friendly and open, she shrugged. "Gotta get the hang of it somehow. Vesta's a good teacher."

His sister practically swelled with pride as she began ordering Pony about. By the time Celia came out, half of their work for the day was done.

"Lunch is ready. Oh, you're still here, Pony?" Celia's high voice was tinged with surprise and pleasure. "I made enough for extra!"

"Wanna eat, too?" Vesta grinned down at Pony, who was somehow covered in dirt already. Marlin scoffed. "Least we can do after you gave us such a hand."

Pony looked hesitant, but the grumbling in her stomach gave her away. Shooting an abashed grin at Celia, Pony nodded, offering a tentative smile.

Lunch was a cheerful affair. As usual, Celia and Vesta led the conversation, occasionally forcing an answer or two out of Pony.

"So are you more interested in farming or ranching?"

Pony looked up from the bowl of salad in front of her, chewing messily on the crunchy vegetables. Swiping across her chin, she swallowed, answering hesitantly: "Well, me and Mark wanted to make more of a rescue for animals and home-grown vegetable patch than a ranch. Well, I did. Mark wants to buy his own place."

Marlin bit back a scoff. A farm rescue? How cliché. Surprisingly though, Pony shot him a reproving look. "I majored in nutritional and environmental sciences in school.."

"College?" Celia sounded impressed. "Wow! That must be so wonderful. Did your brother go, too?"

Pony only nodded now, looking at her salad. Marlin again wondered if she were shy or just quiet.

"What did he get a degree in?"

"Folk History."

"So he knows a lot about vegetables!" Vesta grinned down at her. Marlin wondered how the hell she'd made the jump from the history of Forget-Me-Not back to farming, but she probably was thinking of the agricultural revolution which had begun just a few decades ago and was slower-moving in towns than it was in more populated areas.

"Do you like to cook?" Celia asked. "I know Ruby from the Inner Inn has lots of recipes!"

Pony grinned and shook her head. Marlin remembered her comment - her weird refusal to eat anything but raw vegetables. "I leave the cooking to the men."

Marlin felt a small smile grow on his lips as Vesta roared with laughter and Celia giggled, the sound of bells and happiness filling the small cabin. He supposed company wasn't so bad after all. At least sometimes. If they weren't _Karen_.

X

Nami meandered the farm, wondering where the hell the resident farmers were. Takakura was always reliable. Nami liked him. He was a man of few words, but the way he handled the farm made her think that his gruff exterior was just that - his exterior. But where the hell was he? The cow stood by the gate, and as Nami stared at it, she mooed. Smiling a little, Nami turned to the creature, reaching a hand out.

"Y'know, cows moo in different accents."

Nami jumped a little as a thin girl covered in dirt stood up, trying unsuccessfully to swipe sweat from her face with muddied hands. She ended up striping herself with dark brown earth, and grinned at her, white teeth striking against a muddied face. "What?"

"It's something Takakura told me." The girl before her didn't elaborate, and only saluted her. "I'm Pony."

It was a strange name, but Nami had heard stranger. "Is that a nickname?"

The girl smiled even more widely, before offering: "_Jill_ was my grandmother's name. Ew."

Nami stared for a moment, before breaking into her own small smile. "Why Pony?"

The girl shrugged. It was answer enough. Nami understood. "I need to buy milk."

Pony's eyes widened. "Oh, we don't _sell_ milk."

Nami pointed wordlessly at the cow chewing contentedly besides them.

"No, oh… I mean…" the woman seemed flustered. "I mean, we," 'we' seemed to imply an inherent 'Mark and Pony', rather than 'Mark, Pony, and Takakura'. Nami was sure Takakura would sell her milk. In fact, where was he? "This is more of a shelter. She can't give milk, she's dry. Also, I don't even know how to milk a cow or the process that you use to clean it."

"I milked a cow once." Nami's offering was lame. How was she supposed to get Ruby's milk now? She really didn't want to deal with this.

Pony looked unsure. "Takakura?"

Nami nodded, and the pair went off in search of the elusive Takakura.

x

"She can't be milked. You're the one who bought her."

"Adopted." Pony insisted. "But what are we gonna do for... Nami?"

He shrugged. "If Ruby wants milk, I can go into the city."

"That takes hours. I'll just tell her no."

"She'll be disappointed." Judging from Takakura's voice, Pony figured a disappointed Ruby was not a good thing.

Pony blinked, and the older man had turned away, ready to leave at a moment's notice.

"I feel guilty." Pony said, and at the same time, Nami mumbled: "Well, shit."

"Why don't you stay here for dinner?" Pony asked suddenly. "I don't want to send you back to Ruby without anything."

Dinner was salad - not quite as good as Ruby's fancy, exotic dishes, but fresh and delicious. "Did you grow all of these?"

Pony snorted. "I brought half of them with me. I'm gonna plant them, too."

"Do you just plant it? Just like that?" Nami blinked at the thought. She actually had no clue how gardening worked.

Pony grinned and shook her head. "That scientist gave me a seed maker."

Nami blinked. "Why?"

Shaking her head and chewing a bite of salad, Pony shrugged. "Because he doesn't sleep enough and it's literally depriving his brain of oxygen. Seriously, he needs a vacation. And some therapy."

Shuddering, Nami asked: "Why hang around him, then?"

"I've been trying to help him." Pony admitted. "I bring him food, make him eat. At the very least, he should eat well. I met him on the first night I was here, creeping around the house, and I go to his place twice a night, to make sure he eats. I clean, too, when he's calmed down enough for me to touch his stuff."

"He's a little scary."

Pony shrugged. "All strangers are a little bit scary. He's like a spider. More afraid of you than you are of him."

Swallowing, Nami nodded. That was... interesting advice.


	3. Flora

Flora had been digging for what felt like hours, her back finally seeming to break, when Carter stepped down, a girl following hesitantly behind him.

"Flora!" He boomed, his voice loud in the small, dark space. The echo seemed to shake the walls, though she knew they were stable. "Have you met Pony yet?"

"Pony?" She asked, adjusting and trying to clean her glasses. Unable to find a clean bit of clothing to wipe them, she searched for her handkerchief, unable to see. "Why no, I haven't – are you the girl staying at the Inn?"

"Nope – I live with Takakura."

"Oh!" Flora hadn't heard of anyone living there. "How do you know him?" Though her glasses were dusty, the girl seemed to be quite young.

"Family friend."

"So you're a farmer?" Flora pressed, trying to be polite and feeling strange. The girl wasn't forthcoming at all, though her tone was chipper.

"At the moment, a not much of one, but I try." She said cheerfully.

"She came up here to explore and offered her assistance!" Carter seemed to vibrate with excitement. They had so much work to do that there was hardly enough time in the day. Having even one extra pair of hands would lessen their load considerably.

Haphazardly, Carter tutored her through the process of digging and the girl obediently watched and obeyed, working methodically and carefully, just as they would've. Though her fingers were rather clumsy and she was much slower than they, by five PM she managed to dent a huge chunk of the floor.

"Nothing new." She heard Carter say disappointed as she walked outside into the clean air and stretched. One perk of having the waterfall so close was the view – it was gorgeous, and kept the air cool and moist. Carter insisted he'd chosen the site because the earth was richer and easier to move, thanks to the waterfall and the Spring nearby, which he had sworn had once been a part of the river, but Flora thought that the beauty of nature might've moved his stony heart.

Finally clearing her glasses, Flora inspected the girl. A few inches taller than she, thin and athletic, with a thick, dark ponytail and a collected aura. While Flora considered herself pretty social – compared to Carter, who wasn't? – she knew she wasn't the most popular or connected person in Forget-Me-Not. She hadn't even heard of this girl before her.

"So what brings you here?" Flora asked, inviting the girl to speak more about herself.

Shrugging, the girl sagged onto the ground. "Same thing that brought you, I guess. Or not really – the same _principle_, not the concrete _reason_. I'm not looking for an ancient civilization beneath Takakura's fields."

With a laugh, Flora smiled and sat next to the girl as Carter moved into the tent, their new helper already forgotten. "Did he ramble to you about that already?" She asked with a wry smile.

Muffing her own responding chuckle, Pony nodded. "It was interesting, though." She objected as Flora giggled.

"He's very… passionate." Flora admitted giddily, thinking of the stoic professor. "We met while I was in grad school. Swept me off my feet – literally. This is supposed to be part of my doctoral thesis, but I keep finding myself staying here and writing more instead of presenting it."

"It _is_ interesting. Even what I found today was cool."

Soon, despite her original intent, Flora found herself ranting about the archeological difficulties they were facing, as well as the resulting social isolation she felt. They had been there for almost two years, she explained, and they'd made no major discoveries despite their literal daily efforts. Carter hardly slept, hardly ate, and only ever stopped when Van brought his traveling market to town.

Pony asked about Van and Flora launched into a long-winded explanation. By twilight, when Pony had regretfully left, Flora realized she'd spoken about herself the entire time.

The next day, around noon, Pony returned, working quietly and efficiently. The pattern had been set. Flora would determinedly ask about Pony, who would somehow manage to turn the conversation back to Flora. The older woman realized she'd told Pony all sorts of things – about her life in the city, about how she'd met Carter, about why she'd gotten into archaeology, about her longing to make better friends in town, and even trivial things, like her favorite foods, her love of books, her fear of doctors despite the cough she was beginning to get from being underground in the dust so often.

In fact, Flora spoke so often and Pony spoke so little that she felt guilty. How had the girl managed to do it so adeptly? One day, perhaps a week of Pony coming every day, Flora aggressively wanted to know: "Why do you come here every day? Certainly not to listen to me chatter."

Ever serious, Pony had leaned back, feet in the water, hair falling around her dirty face, and had sat. Simply sat on the earth, sat on the thought – held it, considered it, and when Flora was almost ready to repeat herself, the girl said: "To distract myself."

"To distract yourself?" Flora was unsure of what the girl meant. "Don't you have a farm to run?"

"Like I said, I'm not much of a farmer." Flora realized with a start that in their first conversation, Pony had said exactly that. "And between me and my brother-"

"You have a brother? Here?" Flora gaped. She hadn't even known that. Shame flooded her and she blushed.

Grinning at her mortification, Pony nodded. "Yep. His name is Mark. Between the two of us, there's not much to do until the harvest. Mostly we water plans and weed the fields. Our cow – she's not a milk cow, we just let her graze and hang out – and we explore town."

That was more in one comment than Flora had heard in a week. "So why here?"

A shrug. "I like interesting people. You're interesting. Besides, you're about as lonely as I am, and it's always easier to relate to people who are similar to you."

Flora was embarrassed by the acute perception, but also intrigued. "Who else have you spoken to in Forget-Me-Not?"

"I've spent a lot of time on Vesta's farm." Pony's eyes twinkled. Once upon a time, Flora would've sworn that expression was something made-up in romance novels, but the girl's dark eyes damn well did sparkle just a bit. "Marlin and Celia – those two seem a bit lonely too. They're both so quiet it's difficult for them to open up. Introverts, both of them, but with just each other and Vesta, they get a little antsy."

"Why did you come here?"

"Nami mentioned you and I wanted to check it out.

"Nami?" Flora didn't even realize she was bombarding the poor girl with questions. "The girl staying at the Inner inn?"

"Yeah. She's really interesting. I like her a lot."

"Where's she from?"

"She's from the city, too. I'll bring her up here sometime, she would like it. You can talk to her, too, she likes to listen." The impish grin Pony wore told Flora that she'd also noted Flora's tendency to babble – and didn't dislike it.

Most people Flora knew wrote her off as a chatterbox. It was part of the reason why she was so determined to be successful, to prove herself. The 'dumb blonde' stereotype had always haunted her, and now here she was, with one of the most innovative men in the field, working at her dream job. Even if it was hard, sometimes, because she missed her friends and found it hard to make new ones, she wouldn't give it up for the world.

Pony had realized this as soon as Flora had begun talking. It wasn't so much present in her words, as much as how she spoke them. And Pony liked her, and felt for the older woman. "You know what? You should come to the Blue Bar with me tonight. It's nice there."

And it was settled.

X

That night, after stopping at Pony's for a shower – "A real, mechanical shower!" Flora had raved, sick unto death of showering in the waterfall with a bathing suit on – and saying hello to Tilly the cow, Mark the brother, and Takakura the farmer, the two had set off.

By now, Flora had learned to look for clues in Pony's actions. Though young, she had a quiet demeanor that made her seem older, and that allowed her to get along with denizens of the bar, both young and old. Flora was nervous, and had downed a drink before she even realized that Pony was drinking water.

"Are you even old enough to drink?" Flora asked in disbelief, trying to calculate their age difference.

Pony grinned at that. "I'm twenty-four! I just don't drink."

"Eat like a rabbit, too." A voice suddenly grunted from Pony's other side. Flora blinked over and noticed the quiet man had come in – Marlin, from Vesta's farm just south of them. The two had never really socialized before.

"I eat like a person," Pony contradicted, a sudden, large smile crossing her features. "How're you, Marlin?"

"Good." He grunted, as if he didn't mean 'good' at all. Flora felt suddenly shy.

"Hey there!" Another voice appeared – a different bartender than the man who'd just served them. "You're Flora, right? What a pretty name. I'm Muffy!"

The effervescent woman before her began to suddenly chatter on about flowers without pause. Flora was glad for the conversation and launched into it with her own additions about ancient species of flowers in the fossil prints they'd found in the mine.

"I love Goddess Drops." Muffy sighed.

"You know, they evolved from an invasive species from another country, and were once much larger, before they managed to integrate into the environment. We think that their natural suppressant, the Trick Blue, was introduced in order to kill them, otherwise they'd be a year-round-weed instead of a seasonal flower."

"That's so interesting! Do you want another Stone Oil? It's my least favorite, but it's our best seller. I can't tell you any secret ingredients, but Griffin loves to experiment with drink recipes."

"No thanks, just water for now, I'm a bit thirsty."

"Sure thing! It's water fresh from the spring, too, so that's why it's so good!"

Marlin nudged Pony as the two blondes chattered happily. "Nice to see Muffy finding a friend."

Pony grinned broadly. "Figured the two of them would get along. Flora talks _so_ much- you'd think her tongue was attached in the middle so two ends can flap."

Chuckling and slowly finishing his drink, Marlin yawned.

"Late night?" Pony asked wryly. It was hardly eight PM.

Dark eyes rolled back. "Yup."

"Actually, I'm gonna leave too." Flora decided, hearing that. "I really do need to be up early tomorrow anyway, but I'll come back here more often." She promised Muffy warmly, and the bartender squeed happily.

The three departed quietly –it hadn't been a busy night. Neither of the twins were there, and Cody hadn't yet arrived. Mark had mentioned visiting Nami, so they were probably doing something – they'd become fast friends in the past few days.

"I'll walk you home." Pony said to Flora.

Taken aback, the older woman laughed. "Thanks, but I'm fine, Pony. It's Forget-Me-Not, not the city."

"I'll walk you home," she insisted cheerfully. "It's nice out, and I could use the time outside after being in the mine all day."

A shrug was Marlin's only response. He wasn't good with new people. Flora would have to wait to see him again if she wanted much more out of him.

The walk was silent, but not uncomfortable. Flora was high – buzzed from the drink and ecstatic that she'd made a new friend, found a place to socialize. It was Pony – all Pony – and she was half-drunk and beyond cheerful, Flora hardly noticed that Marlin and Pony followed her home, waiting for her to disappear within the folds of the tent to turn away.

It wasn't even nine when she passed out, Carter still studying one of their finds from nearly a month ago. When he did finally put everything away and prepare to sleep, he smiled – she hadn't gotten undressed, or washed, or done anything but collapse atop her sleeping bag like a tired child. He pulled out a spare blanket and draped it over her content form before turning off their light and falling asleep to the sound of her even breathing.

As they walked away, Flora dead to the world, Marlin commented: "She's a piece of work."

"She's happy to have made a friend." Pony corrected him. "Don't spoil anything, now."

"So that's why you haven't been around."

"I have other friends," she said playfully. Their pace was noticeably slower than it had been. They were lingering, enjoying each other's' presence. He found that he truly liked her – not just because Takakura and Vesta liked her, but because he found he had a compatibility with her that resonated inside him. He related to her, to her quietness and thoughtful nature. "Don't you?"

"Yeah," he grunted. "I'm Mister Social Butterfly."

"Figured. You and Takakura both."

"I wanna come around tomorrow." He said it calmly, no subtext, no indirect wordplay, no transition from subject to subject. He was abrupt, as was his personality, and he figured if people didn't figure that out early on, any friendship with him was a farce.

"What time? I was thinking about visiting the twins, see what their work is like." She took him in stride, and he liked that.

"Whenever, then. Maybe at night. We can go to the bar."

"You drink too much." She said it not condescendingly, but with a note of faint concern, like it wasn't a big deal, but it _could_ be, like it was up to him to take issue with it or ignore it or agree.

"We all have our vices." He said, and wondered what hers was. He was no Karen, for sure, but he wasn't sober all the time when he could be. It was enough that it was a coping mechanism. "What's yours?"

Most people disliked such bluntness. Pony, as quiet as he was, appreciated saving her breath. "Control. Total control freak." She said it easily, like she'd come to terms with it and accepted it, but wasn't quite able to overcome it. "'Bout _everything_."

"Explains the… fruit thing."

"I don't just eat fruit," she corrected, just as they reached the outskirts of Vesta's farm. "I eat _raw_ - nuts, vegetables, and fruit. I eat all of the wild herbs and plants out here, and I eat seeds. I'll make you up a real dinner sometime, show you how its done."

Control freak. Now that she said it, he could notice it. She didn't drink. Her diet was extreme. Her work was of the utmost importance to her, and she loved to learn more. Even her friendships seemed slightly calculated, even in good nature. Her friendship with Vesta – as he suspected, probably based in her desire for knowledge. Her friendship with Celia – to strengthen her ties with Vesta and him. Takakura – she needed a farm. Flora – to learn more, to strengthen her social connections. He wondered what she gained out of a friendship with him, and if he would like the answer.

"Tell Celia I said hello," she said by way of parting. "And Vesta... tell her my rosemary is sprouting."

He inclined his head and turned away, still wondering. Then she was gone, and he was in the quiet warmth of the house, and he wondered if it would be too rude to just ask her what she wanted, and if she'd still consider him a friend after such a cynical and piercing question. Especially since it would be painfully based in truth.


End file.
